Travel

Driving up into the hills towards Calico set my mind to thinking about the origins of this historical place. The same thoughts must have occurred to Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm when he made the same trip because, as the story goes, he said that if he made his fortune, he would want to come back and buy the place, he was so taken with it.

Michael O’Sullivan gave me a firm handshake and a slap on the back like we were long-lost cousins meeting for the first time. “Did ye know the McCarthys were the Sopranos of Ireland and we were your enforcers,” the tour guide said in a heavy Irish brogue as we sat in a pub in Killarney having a pint and a chat — one of Ireland’s favorite pastimes.

Planning a getaway to Palm Springs? Hyatt Palm Springs is offering 15 percent off the food menu (excluding happy hour) at its outdoor lounge HooDoo Cocktail Garden as part of Buzz Perks, a program launched by the downtown’s complimentary

Going into the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, the nation’s 59 national parks have $11.5 billion in deferred maintenance — a record amount. Three areas run by the NPS that are in at least partially in San Bernardino

Artist Christopher Slatoff likes big things. “Most of the really large work is about very public ideas and I think that humanity puts their strongest values and beliefs in stone and bronze,” Slatoff said.

SAN MARINO >> The Huntington’s new $68 million entrance complex, 10 years in the making, will showcase nearly 9 acres of “wow factor” when it opens April 4. The sheer size of the facilities is more than twice the amount of acreage railroad magnate Henry E.

Anybody who wants to succeed in the tourism business may want to sign up for Mandarin lessons. China became the most important source of international visitors to Los Angeles last year, and tourism boosters are counting on the number of Chinese visitors to continue growing for the foreseeable future.

Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is hoping to draw families out to its all-inclusive properties in Mexico and the Caribbean this summer by offering a “Kids Stay Free” promotion, valid through April 30 for travel from May 1 to Aug.

1. Hike a volcano: The moderate 0.8-mile hike to the summit of Diamond Head includes a steep 99-step staircase, a walk through a 225-foot tunnel and glimpse into the bunkers built into the crater as part of the island’s coastal defense system.

The classic Hawaiian Mai Tai cocktail is one of the most popular drinks at Duke’s, the famed Hawaiian restaurant chain that has mainland spots including the seaside Duke’s Malibu. While there are several variations of the rum-based drink, Malibu’s service manager Teyber Parsons said Duke’s special Hawaiian twist makes it the best summertime sipper.

KULA, Maui >> It’s hard to imagine getting bored with Maui’s world-class beaches and resorts, but anyone willing to pry themselves away from the island’s coastal attractions will find a more grounded experience in the farms and funky little towns of the Upcountry region.

Farm-to-table is one of the most enduring foodie trends in recent years. What better place to taste the fare than on the farm? A tour of Kahuku Farms on the North Shore of Oahu will take visitors beyond the typical tourist favorites of pineapple and coconut and introduce them to pomelo, lilikoi, dragon fruit and papaya.

During the State of the City speech on May 6, Mayor Carey Davis and other civic leaders seemed upbeat about San Bernardino’s future. They emphasized that there will be many challenges ahead, but by focusing on partnerships and working together, “we will develop strategic plans that will propel the city forward”.

NEW YORK >> The first direct charter flights between New York City and Cuba are now taking off. Cuba Travel Services has started offering a weekly Tuesday charter between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Havana.

Guests arrived early and began forming long lines even before the fundraiser began, but few seemed bothered. Once they entered the studio and were greeted with glasses of champagne, the festive evening really did live up to its name – “A Night at the Museum – Where the Art Comes Alive” at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona.

One of the big problems with visiting large museums and galleries is that they can be overwhelming. One also leaves with a slight feeling of guilt that perhaps important stuff has been missed because there is never enough time.

Universal City celebrated its grand opening on March 15, 1915. Something like 20,000 members of the public responded to studio head Carl Laemmle’s invitation to visit his new studio at the north end of Cahuenga Pass that day to check out the fancy administration building, open air stages and bleachers on which, until the advent of sound filmmaking a decade later, they were welcome to come back and watch real movies getting made.

Universal Studios Hollywood, the tour and theme park on the Universal City property, has been marking its 50th anniversary for the better part of a year now. But the ever-growing tourist attraction can trace its DNA all the way back to March 15, 1915, when studio boss Carl Laemmle invited the public to the grand opening of his moviemaking metropolis, Universal City.

Marking the four-year anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, Aquarium of the Pacific opened a new show Wednesday presenting the latest scientific analysis of ongoing effects from the largest accidental radiation release in history.

Gotta love a town that supposedly earned its name in an 1850s bar fight — something about likening the brawl to the British siege of the seaport of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Clearly, folks were up on global events back then, despite no broadband service.

Ed Justice came to Southern California from Paola, Kan., in 1940 to work on automobiles. He was so fascinated by life here that he went back home after World War II and brought his entire family out west, where they settled in Glendale.

SKYFOREST >> Two mallard ducks float leisurely in a secluded San Bernardino Mountains pond near a bumpy, unimproved road once used by loggers. A flutter of wings and the occasional snap of a twig from a tree-hopping mountain blue jay is the only sound.

Landers is one of those desert townships that are easy to miss. Route 247 passes close to what is the center of the place, but if you blink you’d miss it on your way to Flamingo Heights and Yucca Valley.

As civic leaders work up a plan for getting San Bernardino out of bankruptcy, there are certain priorities that must be followed in order for this to happen. One priority that may not be high on the list for the city to become solvent, but will be very essential for future prosperity is providing a vibrant and attractive downtown.

We had to drive down to the Westside of Los Angeles the other day. One of our two foster daughters, the English one, had come back for a short visit and was staying in Santa Monica. With little time and a long list of people to see, we felt that we should make the effort and see her since it has been more than three years.

Visiting Mickey and Minnie just got more expensive. The Walt Disney Co. raised ticket prices to attend Disneyland, Walt Disney World and the rest of its U.S. theme parks, effective Sunday. A one-day ticket for either Disneyland or California Adventure in Anaheim, California, is now $99 for anyone 10 or older, the company said.

REDLANDS >> High-resolution images of San Bernardino County Museum artifacts are now part of the Google Cultural Institute, allowing people across the country to explore such items as Native American baskets and pottery with a quick search in a matter of seconds.

Yes, the food is amazing and the shopping is world class, but what is it about Malaysia that sets it apart from every other major Asian country? Putting a finger on its unique offer can be likened to trying to name every spice that goes into some of the country’s famous curries.

SKYFOREST >> Flashback to spring 1955. “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was a hit song on the radio, gas was 23 cents a gallon, and the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn. On Memorial Day weekend, what would become billed as the world’s first franchised amusement park opened in this tiny San Bernardino Mountains community.

Admission fees at Joshua Tree National Park will be waived Saturday through Monday to celebrate the Presidents Day weekend. Fees for activities such as camping, reservations, tours, or concessions will still be collected as normal.

The Aquarian Book Shop was once the place where a who’s who of African-American writers and intellectuals gathered in Los Angeles. Maya Angelou, Angela Davis and Alex Haley were regulars at the long-running store owned by Alfred and Bernice Ligon, who opened the shop in 1941 on South Western Avenue and operated it until its closing in 1994.

The Civil War rages again this weekend. This time though, nobody gets hurt. Union and Confederate troops face off beginning Saturday in re-enactments that are part of a three-day Presidents Day tribute at Calico Ghost Town.

One of the true joys of returning to museums and galleries in Southern California is the revisiting of old friends. Of course, many of the docents and volunteer workers of these small jewels fall into this category, but it’s also the inanimate objects that they protect and promote.

Today’s technology allows anyone to be a scientist. Don’t believe it? Well, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is promoting “citizen science” with its First Fridays series, themed Do-It-Yourself Science, beginning Feb.